With newborn photography, even photojournalists can’t just rely on “watching the action.” Infants obviously can’t do much on their own, so we usually have to do a bit more “setup” than usual.

For Kathy, Adam, and their daughter, we tried to balance fun scenes that fit into the family’s lives with shots of them interacting with the baby. We threw in a few portraits for good measure, and ended up with a gorgeous new-family photoshoot.

This is Kathy and Adam’s first child, so we wanted to give them some special memories of these first few weeks. We did some shots in the nursery with the beautiful sunlight coming in on the baby, and some fun ones in the backyard that included the family dog.

We’re not the kind photographers who work with a lot of props. My style is more contemporary than gimmicky, so we’re after the natural expressions of love between parents and newborns. We want to show that your baby is beautiful without being dressed up in a butterfly costume!

In one of these natural expressions, I caught a few beautiful moments of Adam on the floor, cuddling and holding his new daughter.

Kathy and Adam, I loved having the opportunity to document this part of your lives as your family has grown for the first time. Can’t wait to come back in a few years!